Ever After
by s-sdensi
Summary: Having her marriage prearranged was bad enough before Kensi went and fell for a man who wasn't her fiancé. (K/D Fantasy AU) Co-authored with MontyTheDog
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey everyone! Inspired by the lovely wingsofnight on tumblr's Game of Thornes AU and Legend of the Seeker AU, Cierra (Monty-the-Dog/ mrskensideeks) and I decided to team up and write a Medieval Densi AU fic. Usual disclaimer: Shane Brennan has all rights to NCIS:LA, we just got an idea! :)**

_Once upon a time, the world stopped turning._

_She tuned out every sound but her feet hitting the hard dirt path beneath her, feet kicking up a cloud of dust as she ran, intent on two things; the first being not to cry, the second being not to look back. Her mother's voice had long since faded, the length between the woman who raised her and herself increasing with every step._

_Kensi hadn't expected that that would be the last time she saw her mother for over fifteen years. Her mother was supposed to come looking for her, tell her that it had all been some twisted joke. That she hadn't left her father for another man. That she hadn't put so much distance between her favorite person to ever exist and herself. That, come the following day, Kensi and Julia would be headed back home, satchels loaded and equestrian riding boots buckled tight to their legs._

_But her mother never tried to track her down, never sent a message to her father asking if Kensi arrived safely or not. And when her father was reported killed in action, she took to the streets of the small village, living off of hand-outs and her mediocre hunting skills. She had amazing aim, but the closest thing to a weapon she had in her possession was a homemade sling shot that was untrustworthy and often caused more harm than good. Just when Kensi was sure that if she waited one more day to eat she'd starve, a small woman dressed in a swaddle of purple changed her life forever._

"What the hell?" she screamed, voice lost over the sound of the battle raging around her. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting you."

"Well, can you get off of me?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Oh, that cocky smile was infuriating. The mischievous glint in the man's blue eyes made her irrationally angry, she had the irrational urge to punch him in the face. "Actually, I'm pretty comfortable right here."

"Do you have any idea who I am? And, for the record, I didn't need your protection in the first place. I had the situation under control."

"Who you are? Do I know who you are?" He laughed. _Laughed_.

"Well?"

He sobered slightly, rolling his eyes. "Who doesn't?"

_Good question._

Her eyes narrowed into slits, dark and full of menace. "If you don't get off of me, I will personally break your neck with my bare hands. You have until the count of three."

"Well, Princess, I feel as if it is my duty as a gracious citizen under your reign to protect you at all costs and keep you from harm's way, lest I become the equivalent of a traitor by revealing you to the evils of battle, thus leading to your possible death. So, Your Highness, I must insist on not moving, contrary to your orders."

"Stop it with the bullshit and get off of me! I can protect myself."

"Yeah? If I remember correctly you were an inch short of getting speared in your heart had I not saved you at the last minute."

"You remember incorrectly. Move."

The battle had died down considerably, and their kingdom had, of course, won. Her older brother, another child Hetty had taken under her wing, G Callen, hadn't lost to an adversary yet. Him and his most trusted knight, an honored member of society and a close family friend, were virtually unstoppable.

When the man atop her didn't budge, Kensi took advantage of the fact that his attention at shifted towards the battle, flipping him onto his back and straddling him.

"Princess Kensi likes it on top? Wow. That's a surprise. A totally sexy surprise."

Kensi groaned. "You're a pig. And that is no way to talk to a princess." She extracted herself from atop him, picking up her bow that lay abandoned on the ground next to her, her favorite weapon of choice.

"So I'll be seeing you, Princess?" the man called after her, and she could practically hear his smirk.

"Maybe in your dreams, if your lucky," she responded without turning around, continuing to walk away from her so called savior. She almost didn't hear him yell back, "Definitely in my dreams."

* * *

Back at the castle, Kensi was told by a guard that Hetty was expecting her. The guard…James? No, no, Jack, had given her a bright grin then continued down the hall whistling happily.

_What's with him?_ Kensi wondered before making her way to Hetty. Inside Hetty's private quarters, Kensi found her adopted mother peering out her window, her small form silhouetted against the sunlight that streamed freely into the room, the shadow of her petite body slender and lanky.

Out of habit, Kensi curtsied. Around Hetty it was more of a formality than anything, but the woman was a bit of a stickler about things regarding acting like a 'proper' princess, something Kensi never was nor desired to be. She only followed Hetty's protocol because she felt it was the least she could do; after all, if it hadn't been for the queen that stood across from her she'd probably already have starved to death. "Hetty? We won. Are you going to address the people?" Kensi silently hoped Hetty wouldn't make her do it, or she'd assign Callen. Public appearance was _not _her strong point.

Hetty turned towards Kensi, a sad and tiny smile gracing her face. "My dear, I think you should sit down. Would you like some tea? I must say, this Ceylon Green Tea works wonders. A middle eastern guru introduced me to it right before he tried to kill me."

Kensi accepted a cup, noting how Hetty had averted the question but choosing not to comment on it. She was more interested in the woman's demeanor, which wasn't accompanied by her normal briskness. No, Hetty seemed quieter, solemn even. It was unsettling. She set down, sipping the tea, all the while receptive of Hetty's unordinary mood.

They set silently, waiting for the other to initiate a conversation relating to the elephant in the room which was Hetty's off-ness. Kensi interrupted the quiet first, her curiosity and impatience getting the better of her. "Hetty? Everything good?"

Hetty sighed. "My dear, you do know the chief of the army, Commander Owen Granger?" Once Kensi nodded her head, Hetty continued on. "Unfortunately, Owen had done a very noble deed a long time ago and I had granted him a favor. He has cashed it in now, and I cannot deny him."

Kensi set down her cup and sat up straighter, more than a little apprehensive now. "Wait.. what favor?"

"Owen has arranged for your marriage. To his only son, Jack."

Kensi gasped. No, she couldn't be married now! This would basically ruin her life! She would be stuck inside the castle all day doing nothing but knitting doilies and making baby after baby after baby!

"When? When is the marriage?"

"Owen will announce it to the kingdom tomorrow and is planning to get you married and with his son by next week."

That was when the world came crashing down. This was it. Her life as she knew it would be over.

"I'm very sorry." Hetty whispered, making her way out of the room. Kensi sat in the chair, shocked. No. She would do something. She would not sit there like the perfect and ideal woman everyone expected her to be. She would find her freedom, and she would seize it.

Late at night, once everyone was snoring fitfully, Kensi was still awake, eyes trained on the ceiling. She'd thought about her situation, mulled over every detail over and over again, trying to find a logical way out the predicament she'd fallen into. Grabbing a tiny bag to fit on a saddle, she packed a knife and money, tying her hair into a tight pony tail. She changed into her favorite brown casual outfit and snuck into the stables, finding her beautiful white mare, Royal, and saddled her bag on her. Leading Royal outside the palace, Kensi surveyed the castle behind her one last time and rode off on Royal into the deep forests.

Later in the morning, Nell Jones, Hetty's lady-in-waiting, made her way into her best friend's room to wake her up. The only thing Nell found was crumpled bed sheets and a pillow where Kensi should've been. After word had spread about Kensi missing, Granger furiously stormed towards Hetty, demanding where Kensi went to which Hetty could not reply. A sudden court meeting was called, which an angry Owen Granger raised this issue.

Marty Deeks, one of the best knights in the army and known to be a joker in the court was immediately interested when Granger started spewing. Of course the badass princess would run away at the thought of marriage. Who'd expect any different? Especially to a sleazeball like Jack. When Granger immediately called for someone to volunteer to bring the fair princess back where she belonged, Deeks knew he should be the one to go. And he figured that, even though he'd kind of pissed Kensi off earlier on the battlefield, a familiar face might be nice. Definitely a hell of a lot better than Granger.

After he had stabbed his drunken father with a piece of glass on the floor from a broken plate, his mother had deserted him on the town's streets, berating him in front of everyone how stupid and idiotic it was of him to attack his father before she left and never looked back. A few year later, he signed up for the army and got to work.

Deeks knew, in Owen Granger's eyes, Deeks was probably his least favorite knight and Granger always berated him for no fault of his. Either his style, his quarters, the fighting techniques, anything. So if bringing back Princess Kensi could at least prove himself worthy, he would do it. Lucky for him, Hetty actually convinced Granger to allow Deeks permission to go out and now he was to depart for the forests the next day. Packing everything he would need and getting his horse, Monty, ready for the next day, Deeks promptly fell asleep once his head hit the pillow. Little did he know of the adventure that would unfold in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Deeks woke up before the sun rose and was ready just as the sun started to intensify, and as he found his way towards the masses that were waiting to hear word about who would bring their Princess back to them sweat started to bead on his neck. As the crowd's chatters got louder and louder, Deeks became more and more nervous with each passing second.

Deeks was well aware that he was known for his cockiness, but bringing Princess Kensi back to the anxious kingdom was admittedly near impossible. She was notorious for her excellent survival skills, tracking in particular. If she wanted to, she could disappear. And he feared she had.

"Sir Deeks?" a small voice called out behind him. Deeks turned around to find the queen's lady-in-waiting, Nell Jones. Deeks raised his eyebrows as if to say "Yes?"

"Sir, please bring Ken.. I mean Princess Kensi back safely. She's my best friend and it would break my heart if something happened to her." Nell's voice broke at the end. Deeks felt his heart soften when he realizes that Nell was just a concerned friend and didn't have any ulterior motives.

"Don't worry, Lady Jones. Kensi will be back before you know it." Deeks added a grin for good measure before she blushed and scurried away. Moments after Nell left, the legendary prince, G. Callen, arrived.

"So, you're the lucky guy that gets to bring my sister back. Good luck, man. You're gonna need it. She can be a bit... defiant when she wants something, if you know what I mean." Callen grinned, but their was an undeniable truth behind his words, evident just behind his smile.

"So I've heard," Deeks said, thinking back to the battlefield. Both men shared a short chuckle.

"Hetty sent me to get you. You ready?"

_No_. "Absolutely."

"Your reputation precedes you, Sir Deeks," Prince Callen said, but Deeks couldn't tell if he meant it as a compliment or not. "For the record, Hetty would've never stood for you against Granger if she didn't like you and feel you were up for a challenge."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Callen, please. Just call me Callen."

Once Callen started heading down, Deeks took a deep breath. Had he really just had a casual conversation with the infamous Prince G Callen?

Down at the palace courtyards, Deeks was stopped by Hetty and she whispered, "Bring Kensi home, Sir Deeks." Deeks nodded silently and stepped away from the crowd and their whispers, most of them expressing their discontentment that he of all people had been chosen to bring their beloved leader back. Deeks ignored the chatter and stepped into the stables where he found the stable hand, Eric Beale, feeding Monty a sugar cube. Eric was one of his closer friends; he was blonde, had a sharp jawline, and was a commoner, though his intelligence was grossly underrated.

He grinned at Deeks when he approached, leading Monty out to him. Deeks gulped as he threw one leg over the saddle, adjusting himself. "No sweat, right?"

"No sweat," Eric agreed easily, even though Deeks knew that just like himself and everybody else in the kingdom, Eric was bound to have his doubts.

* * *

The only thing harder than pushing herself to the point of exhaustion was extracting herself from the cold ground after only an hour of sleep. She stopped trying to get the kinks out of her neck abruptly when she became aware of someone else's presence, and from her peripheral she saw an extremely broad man standing in the shadows, seemingly unmoving.

"Well, would you lookie here! If it isn't it the lovely Princess Kensi Blye. Watcha doing so far away from home, sweetie?" The man leered at her, and shiver ran up her spine as she calculated her options. Thinking quickly, she lunged for her bag behind her, rising to her feet staring at the man with her signature death glare.

The man laughed. He _laughed_. Oh, now she was pissed. "Aw, Sweetie. Don't be scared! I'm just gonna see what you have in that bag of yours!" He made a move for the bag before he saw the dagger in Kensi's hand.

"Oooh! Princess Kensi gonna fight me? Let's see what you got!" The man tried to throw a punch at Kensi but she deflected it easily and punched the man in the jaw, adding in an extra kick to the groin for good measure, mostly because he called her 'Sweetie'. The man groaned and fell, and she grabbed her bag, running. She heard the man yell, "Hey! Catch her!"

Multiple men that size? She was amazing at hand-to-hand combat, and one guy was no problem. But three? Or four? These guys were something akin to giants, even bigger than Sam. Her weight was her disadvantage, and the only thing she could think to do was run. Her whole body seemed to groan in dissatisfaction as she recalled that the last time she slept for more than an hour at a time was nearly three days ago. But, in despite of her body being pass the point of fatigue, she continued to run, only stopping when she felt something sharp hit her in the back of the head and knock her cold.

Kensi woke up later only to find her satchel lying empty in front of her, the men long gone. When she tried to get up, she found herself bound by ropes to the tree behind her. Her head pounded and her back ached, and when she felt warm blood trickle down the side of her face she realized the guys must have knocked her out with a slingshot of sorts and stole her belongings before tying her in place. Considering the durability of the rope that was rubbing into her dress which, thank God, was still in tact, she probably wasn't getting anywhere for awhile. Which meant, in short, that she was screwed.

_Great._

* * *

_She'd been fighting against the ropes for probably a good hour, but the burns that the material was rubbing against her ribs were enough to make her want to scream out in pain. She even yelped once, and Princess Kensi Marie Blye does __not _yelp. 

The sun was setting, her eyes were squinted close to shut, and her body was begging her to sleep (as if she could in the position she was in). Her head pulsated in time with her heartbeat, the headache growing from a dull throb to an excruciating stabbing sensation, and she knew that if she didn't starve to death on this tree first then the pain in her skull would surely be the death of her. Whatever they'd hit her with had to have been just sharp enough to draw blood, and catapulted so quickly that it efficiently knocked her out but didn't kill her. She wondered if that had been their intent, or if they hadn't wanted the death of a princess on their hands. Of course, if they left her to rot they might as while have put an arrow through her heart.

She watched the first stars of the night start to speckle a darkening canvas above her, and once again she struggled against the binds. It was to no avail and caused more harm then good; her skin was already raw and bleeding through the now worn fabric of her dress. Her head had stopped leaking crimson liquid onto her shoulder, and it now sat in a dry patch against the side of her neck. It was torture in and of itself, waiting for death. She half wished that somebody would come and save her, even though she doubted an arranged marriage was any better than her fate as of then, tied to a tree.

Kensi was still young, nearing twenty three. Being a princess didn't exactly leave much time for focusing on romance, but she knew that the last thing she wanted was to settle somebody else's deeds by ruining her own life so that this 'Jack' could rise in power as a prince and an eventual king. She didn't know him or of him, his reputation, his occupation, anything. How was she expected to marry him? Going to sleep next to a stranger every night was unappealing, to say to least.

Just as she'd started to tell herself that dying a painful death pressed against a tree as opposed to marrying an anonymous may not be as bad as she'd originally thought, she heard the unmistakable sound of a horse's hooves hitting the hard ground of the forest. She didn't call them out, and when the sound faded she raised her chin defiantly, even _hmphing_. She was ready to face her fate after a mediocre and adrenaline fueled, albeit short, life. But, fate be it, a neigh and a horse's noisy gallop started to fill her ears again, and Kensi sighed. Being a damsel in distress was her least favorite persona, and yet, there she was.

"Damn, Princess Kens... is that you?"

"It's Princess _Kensi_, and watch your language. I am your authority, and you will respect me," she grumbled in response to the shaggy man standing in front of her. Why did he look so familiar?

He snorted, probably in disbelief. "Why did you tie yourself to a fern?"

Gritting her teeth, she clenched her jaw, asking for patience. "Don't be an idiot. Some guys stole my stuff and tied me to a tree."

"Do you want down?"

"What type of question is that?!" Kensi demanded, wishing he would stop with his antics and just untie her, dammit. Couldn't he see she was not in the mood?

"No need to get so snippy," the man replied, extracting a knife from his side. As soon as he cut the binds she nearly face planted, but he caught her with an arm around her waist, to which she hissed. Not because of the proximity, but because of her injury. It stung unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

"God, Kens..."

"Princess," she corrected weakly, bracing herself with his shoulder as he kept an arm around her waist to help her balance. Swallowing past the pain, she released his arm and swayed as she tried to stand up straight, somehow not toppling to the ground. "Thanks for helping me, Sir... Sir-"

"Deeks," Deeks supplied. "Marty Deeks, at your service.

"Sir Deeks," Kensi repeated, finishing her earlier thought. "I'll be on my way now. You can report to my brother and mother that I'm feeling awesome, and I'm safe."

"I'm not much on lying." Deeks frowned, examining her injuries more closely. "I was sent after you. I have to bring you back to the kingdom. And plus, you need medical attention. Come on."

"No," Kensi answered easily, making to take a step but nearly collapsing when she turned away from him. He was behind her in a matter of seconds, holding on to her hips until she was secure. She shrugged his hands away, this time succeeding when she tried to walk away.

"Princess," he called after her, and she didn't so much as acknowledge him. "Kens, the easy way or the hard way. I'll give you until the count of three to turn around and let me take you back home."

"What are you, my mother?"

He patiently ignored her and started his countdown. "One."

"Bye, Deeks."

"Two."

"Deeks..."

"Three!"

* * *

**That's the end of chapter 2! Be sure to review! **

**s-sdensi and MontyTheDog**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Happy 100th guys! :) Did you like the episode? I loved it! Enjoy the 3rd chapter! SSD**

* * *

Deeks had inevitably overpowered her, and though she put up a fight it was no feat for him in her condition of exhaustion and pain to swiftly lift her into his arms. But when he obtained a tight (albeit gentle) grasp on her, she refused to look at him and continued trying to squirm out of his grasp despite the agony each movement inflicted upon her.

"Let me go, dammit!"

"Why do you insist upon being so stubborn? Look at you. This would be easier if you just quit moving."

"Why? I'd sooner be retied to a tree than return to that kingdom and be forced to marry... Jack, or whatever his name is."

"That's a bit melodramatic," he said, chuckling.

Between all of the hurt and his refusal to take her death sentence seriously, she was a bit hysterical and had an irrational urge to start crying. Instead of tears, she screamed. "You don't understand! You couldn't possibly understand! I never wanted this life. I never wanted him! I never asked for any of this."

"Because princesses have it _so _bad."

"You have no idea what I've been through," Kensi growled, her jaw clenched. She thought of her mother and the rejection she'd felt from the day she left forward, and her father, her best friend, dying. She thought of how pitifully skinny she'd become after nights of no food, and the hollowness of her stomach. She thought of the things that, desperate and starving, she'd done for food, and that was when the tears started to fall.

"Kensi..." Deeks said, his eyes wide as he watched the liquid leak out of the corner of her eyes. "Kens, c'mon. I'm sorry. I don't want to do this anymore than you do." It was the truth. He didn't know the crying woman that he currently held in his arms that well, but he knew that he didn't want to watch her suffer. And even though it was virtually impossible for him to even begin to understand what she was going through, he definitely saw where she was coming from.

"Then don't, Deeks." And then, much quieter, "Please."

Deeks sighed, weighing his options. After a long moment's consideration and a few glances at Kensi, who had finally stopped fighting, he nodded. "Okay. Okay. Um, I have a little shack on a beach a little while from here that no one knows about. You can stay there for the night, but just for the night. We'll take this one step at a time, okay?"

She smiled, obviously grateful. "Thank you," she said sincerely before scowling slightly. "Now, for the love of God, put me down."

"Your wish is my command."

* * *

She'd almost fallen asleep on the way there with her head resting against his back, but he constantly jostled her to assure that she was still awake and, therefore, not about to fall off of the horse. By the time they arrived at their destination the sun was rising, and she had to force herself to remain upright as he helped her off of Monty and guided her into the cabin. The shack was cheaply made but sturdy enough to stand up to any weather the beach brought, and it consisted of a tiny kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom that took up over half of the house. The only room separated by walls was the bathroom, and overall the place was about the size of half of Kensi's bedroom at the castle.

Thinking of her plush comforter and feather filled pillows that probably lay untouched since the night she left on her bed, she felt a pang of homesickness that quickly passed, and instead of focusing on the place she'd learned to call home since the age of sixteen, she listened to Deeks.

"I, uh, found this spot when I was about fourteen, and when things got bad I kept coming back. Before I knew it I'd built this old thing."

Impressed, she raised an eyebrow. "You made this by yourself?"

He shrugged like it was no big deal as she led herself to a chair in the kitchen where she removed her shoes, trying not to cringe as she bent over and unlaced her riding boots. "It's not much, but it's nice when I want to get away for a little while. You can take the bed."

"Where are you sleeping?"

"Probably on the floor. I think I have an extra blanket around here if you want-"

"You're not sleeping on the floor," she interrupted, frowning slightly. "We can... I mean, I'm okay with..."

"Are you trying to get me into bed with you? Because your seduction game is not strong."

She groaned, bracing herself against the table as she rose to her feet. "You're a pig. I'll take the floor, then."

"Absolutely not."

"Deeks."

"Kensi."

"Just take the damn bed."

"You have a really bad potty mouth."

"Only around people who piss me off."

"You're pretty cute when you're angry," he noted, smirking.

She tried to hide the blush that she felt spreading from her cheeks to her neck, covering it with an eye roll. "I'm tired, Deeks. Stop being an idiot and just sleep in the bed already."

"Only if you sleep in it."

"Fine."

"Good. And by the way, I need to check out those rope burns and that head injury."

She refrained from moaning as she looked at the bed, only a few feet away. It was so tempting to collapse onto the mattress, blood, grime, and all. Screw ladylike. She was tired. Beyond tired. "Can it please wait until morning?" That had been the second time she used 'please' around Deeks, a word she usually reserved for special occasions. Very special occasions. After a year of doing nothing but begging, she tried to stay as far away from anything resembling desperation as she possibly could. In her mind, 'beggar' and 'please' went hand in hand.

"What if you have a concussion?"

"Actually, a coma sounds awesome right about now. Especially if it means that I won't have to go home."

"Wow, okay. Suicidal much? I think you missed your calling as an actress, drama queen. Just sit back down. I'll get the first aid kit." He rummaged around in a shelf that hung over a very makeshift counter, coming back with a box. "You know, I have a friend who would be like a kid in a candy store talking to you. How do you feel about psychologists?"

"Hate them," she replied automatically. "Who wants to pay somebody to listen to their problems?"

"Yep, your mind would be a playground for him," Deeks confirms, cleaning up first the dried blood on her neck, then the actual wound right above her temple, before telling her to look into his eyes. She did, and she nearly gasped when they made eye contact, noticing how close they really were. But the distance between their noses was nothing in comparison to the feeling of icy blue cutting her like a knife, or was it closer to a wave overtaking her, offering something she'd wanted for so long, serenity? The green that speckled the rims of his pupils perfectly balanced the bright azure of the rest of his iris, and she felt like she could get lost in eyes so perfect. They made her feel small, but at the same time weirdly significant. His eyes were enough to knock anybody off their balance, not just herself, she reasoned.

"No concussion, but do you mind me saying that your eyes are fascinating?"

"Uh... um, thanks," Kensi said, noticing her mouth had become dry. Suddenly self conscious, she broke eye contact, absently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Is that a blush?" he teased. "Did I just make The Kensi Blye blush?"

"No," she replied quietly, embarrassed. He simply grinned in response, dabbing at the injury on her head one last time.

"The rope burns?"

"They're not bad," she lied easily. That was the most untruthful thing she'd said in a pretty good while, but at this point she was willing to do anything for a chance to sleep. He obviously wasn't buying it, but instead of arguing with him anymore she stood up, brushing against his arm as she walked passed him and collapsed on her back in the bed. "Night, Sir Deeks."

"First thing tomorrow I expect you to let me look at those burns."

"Whatever."

"'Night, Kensi."

* * *

The next morning, Kensi woke up to the chirping of the birds and a warm body snuggled next to hers. As she shifted to get comfortable, she instantly regretted moving as the day old rope burns stung with a vengeance. Hissing, she slowly got up as Deeks stirred beside her.

"Kensi? You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine!" Kensi insisted a bit too quickly, and Deeks raised his eyebrow. He shifted to his side next to Kensi who was lying on her back, pressing his thumb near a burn. She let out an outraged hiss of pain, growling, "Was that necessary?"

"Yeah, no. You're clearly not fine," Deeks said as he made Kensi sit on the edge of the bed, grabbing the first-aid box and taking out a bottle of alcohol and a clean tissue.

"Can you unzip your dress or something? I promise I'll behave."

Kensi raised an eyebrow. "Uh, last night doesn't necessarily qualify as 'behaving'. Last time I checked, I'm not a teddy bear."

"You're the one that decided my chest was a better pillow than the one I gave you last night." She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks, but he didn't miss a beat. "You need this. I won't peek. Swear."

"Okay. Okay. Just... don't do anything stupid. I will not hesitate to kill you."

"You are _adorable_. Nothing sets the mood like death threats."

"Deeks."

"No funny business."

"Good. I didn't want to strangle you."

"I didn't want to die."

She unlaced the back of her dress which hurt more than it should've, sitting down on the bed and avoiding Deeks's eyes. Pretty soon she felt the burn of alcohol against raw wounds, followed immediately by the dab of a tissue. After a minute or so Deeks cleared his throat. "Yeah, you're... uh, you're good."

"Thanks," she mumbled, deciding that that had to have been the awkwardest moment of her life. "You can stop staring at me now."

"Sor- sorry. Just, wow."

"That's enough. Can't you, like, turn around or something while I change?"

"Seriously, you don't want me to look now?"

"Just do it," she demanded through clenched teeth, dreading putting her scratchy riding clothes back on.

"If you wanna change, I have a dress."

"Do you now?" she asked with a slight laugh, reaching for a blanket to cover up her body which was currently only clad in a bra and underwear. "What, does it match your eyes? Make your butt look good?"

"It was my mom's," he clarified, and she didn't miss the slight flash of hurt that clouded his beautiful eyes momentarily, quickly replaced with a small smile that matched her own. Kensi had connected stories of a little boy having stabbed his father and been kicked out by his mother at the age of eleven to Deeks sometime yesterday. She recalled overhearing about him a time or two, and though she didn't know the odds and outs of the story she knew that the man who'd rescued her the day before was more than the happy-go-lucky, fearless warrior he made himself out to be.

After retrieving a simple cotton dress that resembled little more than a slip, he handed it to Kensi. "Here you go. And if you uh, need any help-"

"Nice try," she interrupted.

"It was worth a shot, right?"

She turned away from Deeks, sliding the dress over her head quickly and tying it half-assedly in the back, not willing to stretch the aching skin of her abdomen from the rope burns anymore than she already had. After declaring that she was somewhat presentable, she smoothed the fabric of the dress over her legs, clearing her throat in a professional matter.

"All right. I'll be on my way out. Thanks Deeks." Kensi extended her hand towards him, and he frowned, crossing his arms over his chest instead of taking her hand in his. She shrugged, about to continue on her way before Deeks's voice stopped her.

"No, no. You're gonna eat first, okay?" Sighing in defeat, Kensi considered considering to walk out the door, but the grumbling of her stomach made her decision for her. Deeks gestured towards a rickety chair and what must've been a table, offering her a seat. "Sit tight. I'm going to make you the best damn pancakes in the world. They're so good, they'll make you never want to leave."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Right."

"Ye of little faith, watch and learn."

He put on quite a show, flipping pancakes and slicing fruits like a pro. After the sizzling of frying batter faded out, he turned to look at Kensi, and she forced herself not to think about how adorable he looked with flour in his shaggy blond curls. "What do you want to drink? Milk, milk, or milk?"

"Hmm, what was the second choice again?"

"Funny," he said with a small chuckle, setting down a plate of pancakes. They smelled beyond amazing, and by the time he placed the plate in front of her she was nearly salivating, which wouldn't have been very princess-like at all. Of course, running away, taking out one of her attackers, and lounging around in a slip with some guy she barely knew wasn't very princess-like either.

He turned around to grab his plate after setting down her serving, and when he faced her again he gaped. "Damn, did you inhale it or...?"

She ignored him, standing up and pushing her chair in, an old habit. "Alright Sir Deeks. You've cleaned my wounds, given me something new to wear, and fed me. Your help has been much appreciated. I'll leave and you can tell Hetty, Granger, Callen or whomever you report back to that I'm perfectly fine and not to worry."

"I didn't win you over with my impressive cooking skills? I thought that would definitely get you to stay."

She smiled, turning to leave. "Bye, Deeks."

"Kens, you know I can't let you go."

"Why not?"

"Granger wants me to bring you back."

"But do you want to bring me back?"

Deeks looked at Kensi in shock while a small smile crept onto her lips.

"Wh- what?"

"Do you want to bring me back? You know I'm engaged to that jackass, no pun intended, and you know me. I would have rather died on that forest tree. Deeks, please. Please don't turn me back in." Kensi hated pouring her feelings out like she was, but she knew she had to if she wanted her freedom.

Deeks sighed. "Alright, fine. But one condition."

"What?"

"I won't take you back if you stay with me. Nobody knows where I am. Or cares, for that matter. It can just be the two of us until we figure this out, okay?"

Kensi blushed, then nodded. The use of the word 'we' didn't go unnoticed by her. "Okay."

"Okay."

Kensi was at a loss for words, and Deeks seemed content to watch her squirm under his smile. But, unlike all of his mischievous smirks, this one was understanding. It was warm. It made her want to grin back.

And she did, asking, "Is it ok if I go to the beach for a minute? Pinky promise I won't run away."

"Be my guest."

Kensi walked over to Deeks and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek, overwhelmed by his gratitude. She didn't understand why he cared so much, but she was glad he did. "Thank you, Deeks."


	4. Chapter 4

**In the end of the chapter is a little surprise! Enjoy Chapter 4! SSD and MTD**

* * *

He _wasn't _that bad.

Not nearly as cocky as he'd been on the field during their first acquaintance, or annoying for that matter. And under that initial obnoxious exterior, what do you know, he had a good heart.

Good enough to go against a direct order and take in a princess that was wanted for a large sum of money. Good enough to commit a crime punishable by years thrown in the castle's dungeon.

She sighed, watching as the water lapped at her toes. It was cooler wherever they were, maybe in a higher north region? The air had a chilly breeze, but the sun was still warm. The water, however, was not. It made goosebumps rise on her arms, spreading from her chest to her legs.

She considered running away. Thinking of his already lousy reputation he had in the kingdom, she quickly disregarded the idea when she thought of the aftermath it would have if Deeks returned empty handed.

Why did she even care about him? Some washed up, overconfident, sorry-excuse-for a warrior (maybe not _sorry_. She'd heard stories about his bravery. And, more importantly, his selflessness. But that was besides the point) who had the nerve to curse around her and treat her like common folk when she was exactly the opposite.

Maybe that was the reason she was attracted to him.

After all, she'd give her wealth and position in the kingdom up if it meant going back to living in her tiny cottage with her father even though she knew that was impossible. She'd rather be watching her dad assemble a bow and arrow than trying on dresses. She'd rather be drinking goat's milk and eating freshly laid eggs then feasting on extravagant arrangements of food that looked too pretty to eat. And she'd much rather be choosing her own husband at this age, somebody funny, talkative, but also sensitive, sporting a golden heart, and, of course, a little easy on the eyes. Somebody who didn't feel compelled to treat her like royalty, somebody who understood that she didn't want money or need special treatment. Somebody like...

"Deeks."

"Hey. I was just making sure you hadn't made a mad dash for the waves and doggy paddled away in the hopes of finding a private island that you could live on in the middle of the ocean."

"The thought occurred to me," she admitted with a small laugh, running her fingers through her hair which she had taken out of it's plait sometime between coming outside and realizing that had she had a choice, she would've looked for traits that Deeks had in a husband.

"So you promise you're sticking around?" Did he sound... hopeful?

"Guess so. Getting eaten by a shark doesn't hold much appeal to me at the time being."

"Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Something tells me that if I say no, you'll ask it anyway." He chuckled, sitting down in the sand next to her when she sunk to her bottom, pulling her knees to her chest. "So yeah, ask away."

"Is Prince Callen really related to you?"

She tried not to focus on the randomness of the question, shrugging instead. "Who, G? No. Well, not by blood. He's been with Hetty for awhile. I came after him."

"That explains why you two look nothing alike."

"Yeah." It struck her as strange that the constitutions of her kingdom didn't know the real story of the people that ruled them. What, did one day they thought that Hetty popped out a twelve year old boy and then a fifteen year old girl that she'd been stashing away for years? "Now it's my turn to ask a question- how do you think we're all related? Or were brought together or whatever?"

"Well, one day an asteroid crashed into earth, and inside was a dinosaur. That dinosaur laid an egg, and when it hatched so was born Hetty. Then Hetty found a birdie and jacked it up on steroids and so Prince Callen was created, and you, well, nobody knows about you. My guess is a fallen star."

He winked. She blushed.

"Phase 2 complete, render her speechless!"

Clearing her throat, she tried to train her mind to think straight again. "So, you- you really have no idea where we came from? And everybody just rolls with it?"

"Think about it. If you were a commoner, would you wake up one day and go, 'Gee, why don't I have a nice little chat with Queen Hetty who can kill a man with a nail-file and ask her if the prince and princess are even related to her.'"

"Okay, okay. Point taken."

They fall silent for a second, just staring at the waves. He nudges her shoulder. "So you're not going to tell me the story of how you were crafted by Aphrodite herself and then pulled some badass if not idiot move and got blown out of the heavens by Zeus?"

"How long do you spend coming up with these pick-up lines?"

"I actually have a process. Brainstorm for thirty minutes each morning, read some sonnets, write some love stories, try to brainstorm again-"

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "You're so full of-"

"Adorableness?"

"Yeah, let's go with that."

After a minute or two, she was just about to find a position on her stomach or back that was more comfortable (she hadn't gotten as much sleep as she'd necessarily wanted to the night before, but that was mostly because A] she wanted to sleep for three days straight after the day she'd had yesterday and B] sleeping with a man she hardly knew wasn't something she was accustomed to.) But before she could do so, Deeks asked, "Can I show you something?"

A nap on the beach could wait, so she nodded. When she stood up, he caught her by surprise and took her hand in his. "The laurels get pretty thick in a few hundred feet," he explained, but he was pretty sure he was just making excuses, so she told him so.

"You're just making excuses."

"Yeah, I'm just making excuses. I kind of want to hold your hand."

Color rose to her cheeks at his bluntness, but she didn't untwine their fingers. Instead, she smiled.

It was a nice hike, and he filled it with light chatter, banter, and plenty of jokes, some cheesy, some hilarious. He told her about his two best friends, a con artist that with a name he wouldn't reveal to her (she was a princess, after all), and a stable hand named Eric who was creepily smart and an awesome fishing buddy, which happened to be one of his favorite pastimes. He told her about his horse, Monty, and how Monty would eat literally anything that he could get a hold of, including Deeks's brand new silk lingerie that he had purchased for his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. "So I come in and the horse has a piece of silk in his mouth that costs more than my house..."

He was insanely talkative, but she liked it. She'd never liked feeling like she had to be the entertainer, or that she was having a one sided conversation. And he, he didn't seem to mind at all. Their hands stayed together for a majority of the trip, and when they finally arrived at the top of a hill, he smiled. "Ta-da."

Kensi gasped softly. From the top of the hill was a beautiful view of the grasslands between them and the kingdom on the opposite end. In the distance, she could see the tall towers of the castle looming over the forest like the intimidator that it was, the rest of the kingdom dots. The grasslands, however, were breathtaking. The forest she'd ran through took almost half the view of the land, but the land had tiny farms and rows of crops and another tiny village she guessed was still under Hetty's rule.

"Deeks.. this is..."

"Beautiful? Yeah, it is. I found while I was just wandering around almost a year ago. It's a nice getaway when you wanna break from the constant shit Granger puts you through."

They sat in silence, Deeks sneaking glances at Kensi's relaxed face occasionally. He had to consciously remind himself to tear his eyes away from her on more than one occasion, but it was hard. Really hard. Her eyes, one molten gold, the other so dark it was nearly black, drank in the scene in front of her. It was comparable to a child discovering its shadow for the first time, a bird learning that it could fly, a water-deprived traveler discovering a rich oasis. Her hair fell against her shoulders, framing her high cheekbones and sharp jaw. Her smooth skin and lips that were so perfect they looked as if they had been painted onto her face contrasted against all of the edged angles that made up her bone structure, and one eye so warm, the other so striking, balanced her ratio of dark and light, all coming together to shape one of the most extravagant creatures he'd every had the pleasure of laying his eyes on.

And God, her figure...

He scooted closer, and putting an arm around Kensi's side. He couldn't help it, not really. She radiated brilliance that was irresistible. She leaned against him, surprising him. The scenery's gorgeous, yes, but she was better, and he caught himself turning his head to steal a peek at her again, only to find that she turned her head at the same time as he did. They were close, so close, eyes locked, noses nearly touching. Was he about to kiss Princess Kensi?

He was about to kiss Princess Kensi.

But, yet another shocker, she cut him to the chase.

* * *

_Oh..my..God. _Every kiss, every labored pant, that was all that she could think. As they pulled their lips apart, she took a shaky breath. Her lips felt as they were ablaze, her heart hammering against her rib cage. He connected his lips with hers again with slightly more force and she fell back and landed between the soft grass and his hard chest. He pulled back and she moaned from the sudden separation, half tempted to grab a handful of his hair and pull him back down. He looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, God yes," She groaned, finally giving into the temptation and pulling his head down to hers again. She kissed him, hands roaming over his shoulder blade, against his chiseled back muscles that she could feel through his white linen shirt. Releasing the handful of hair she'd fisted to maneuver his lips back to hers, she moved her palm to the back of his neck.

"Wow," Deeks whispered, brushing the same piece of hair that he'd been admiring mere minutes before from Kensi's face. It was softer than he'd imagine it would be, and the strands felt like smooth silk between his fingers. She giggled, the sound chiming against his ears like soft chimes.

"Enjoying yourself?" she teased, batting her long eye lashes.

"Almost as much as you are," he countered, and she laughed.

"Cockiness will get you nowhere."

"Actually," he countered, "it _has _gotten me this far."

"Oh, whatever."

Deeks stood up and held out his hand towards Kensi. She grabbed it and got up, nearly falling on top of Deeks. Her head was still spinning, and he'd literally made her legs weak. Seeing her reaction to their little make-out section, he smirked. She punched him.

"What was that for?!"

"Oh, don't give me that." She was all smiles, and when he took his hand to lead her back to the shack, she easily excepted it.

They joke and laugh on the trip back, stealing kisses occasionally. But all laughter was gone the moment they entered the structure, replaced with passion. The embraces were more intense than they'd been in the field, the heat of the moment making the air thick around them. She could hardly breathe, her stomach a mixture of butterflies, nerves, and need.

He'd lost his shirt somewhere along the way, and her dress was crumbled in a pile next to the table she'd ate breakfast at hours before. When she wrapped her body against his he caught on quickly and complied, helping to lift her so that she could wrap her legs around his hips. Once there, Kensi pulled away from him for a millisecond, staring into his perfect blue eyes.

Maybe he saw the anxiousness and fear in her eyes and maybe it made him second guess himself, but whatever the reason was, he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered, kissing him again to prove her point. "God, yes."

With her assurance he carried her to the bed, laying her as gently as he could against the mattress and landing against her, their groins separated only by cloth. She shuddered, mumbling, "Deeks..."

"Somebody's impatient," he laughed, rolling his hips against hers.

"Would you _please_ shut up?"


	5. Chapter 5

Something felt really good.

In the bleary state of subconsciousness she was in she couldn't pinpoint what it was at first; all she knew was that there was a series of gentle pressures being administered against her stomach, the side of her shoulder, her jawline, her temple. When she finally forced her eyes open, she smiled. Well, at first. Then, remembering who and where she was, her eyes widened. Of course, Deeks, who was currently kissing the side of her neck with his eyes still partially closed, couldn't see her. But he must have felt her stiffen under his touch, so he mumbled, "Good morning, beautiful."

She blushed remembering the night before, bunching the plush white comforter in her hands and pulling it up to cover her bare chest. Noticing her behavior Deeks smirked, pulling away from her slightly to roll to his side, propping his head up with his elbow as he stared at her. "No need to be shy, Kensi. You certainly weren't last night."

At that point, her face was probably the color of a tomato. She tried to respond, but the words died on her tongue.

"Aw, you're so adorable when you're flustered." He tried to lean in for a kiss, but she rolled away, almost falling off of the bed. He stifled a laugh while she scrambled to remain on the mattress, catching one of her flailing arms in his strong grip and helping to keep her upright and on the mattress.

When she noticed his obvious amusement, she glared. "Not a word, Deeks."

"Fine, fine," he said easily, raising his hands as a gesture of surrender.

A moment passed as Kensi tried to put together her thoughts, finally speaking. "Listen, uh, Deeks... I- Last night was..."

"Incredible, epic, invigorating, best sex you've ever had?" he completed, grin still firmly in place.

"I was going to say a mistake."

His grin didn't falter, but it stopped reaching his eyes. "Oh."

"I- I like you, Deeks, I do. But this... situation... I don't know. I was confused and scared and not myself and-"

"It's okay, Kens," Deeks interrupted, standing up to grab his clothes. She tried not to stare at his body (which, for the record, was the definition of perfection), forcing herself to look away as he continued to talk. "You know what? I totally understand."

"I'm- I'm sorry, Deeks."

"Don't be," he said, obviously straining to keep the disappointment from his voice. Now fully dressed, he closed a cedar chest that she hadn't noticed before, making eye contact with her. She was still sitting on the bed, comforter pulled up to her chin. "Really, it's fine."

"I didn't mean-"

"For the record," he interrupted, something that nobody had did to her in years, "last night had to have been one of the best nights of my life." He was looking right at her, then popped two of the buttons on his white shirt open revealing a portion of his tan chest.

Kensi frowned, biting her lip. A few seconds of heavy silence passed before Deeks finally broke it, asking in a monotone, "It's because I'm not royalty, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"That's why you're not interested. I'm not... good enough."

"Deeks."

"What? It's the truth."

"No, it's not."

"Then why? A few hours ago, you seemed more than interested."

"Because, Deeks! Because we could never be together!" she yelled, squeezing the comforter tightly in her fists. "What happens when we fall in love? We just stay in this shack our whole lives? Never return to the kingdom?"

"I don't see why we'd have to."

"Oh, come_ on_. Hetty's going to find me sooner or later. Or, worse, Granger. He'd kill you, Deeks."

He perched himself on the mattress by her feet, and she didn't move away. "Is that what this is about? Kensi, you're not going anywhere if you don't want to. I'm not going anywhere."

"Swear?" she asked quietly, needing the conformation.

"Cross my heart." His promise was delivered with a smile, and she grinned back.

She sat up a little straighter, still covering her torso, but she wasn't nearly as rigid as she'd been moments before. "So, what now?"

"Sex?" he hoped aloud, and she snorted.

"You're a pig."

* * *

Granger groaned. That damn Deeks hadn't sent back word of whether he'd found that damn princess or not. That was enough to send Granger into a frenzy though it had only been a few days since Deeks had ridden into the forest. He'd much rather have his own son, Jack, find Kensi, because it would be so much easier for the upcoming marriage of the two. But that bloody Henrietta had to have her say in the matter and insert Deeks into the equation, substituting Jack out like a variable.

"Dad?" Granger whirled around with a hand resting lightly on his sword and found Jack grinning at him.

"Jack, don't do that. You could've gotten killed by me."

"Dad, why are you so worried? I'll go get Kensi!" He shot an arrogant grin before leaning towards his father. "Are you sure your plan will work?"

"Of course I'm sure! That old bat won't even know what hit her and we'll have this kingdom all to ourselves while Callen will be sent on a mission to some far, far kingdom and the darling princess will be locked in your room with her only purpose being to please you." Granger snickered.

"But hey, where's that.. Dee.. Deal… Deek guy? Wasn't he supposed to send his report already?"

"That's the damn problem. Bloody Deeks hasn't sent anything back."

"Maybe he's deep in the woods. Maybe he may not come back…" Granger looked up and grinned.

"I'm proud of the way you think, son."

* * *

Days passed since Kensi and Deeks had their first night together and the two slowly fell in love with each other as the days passed. Their days consisted of walking on the beach, hunting, relaxing on their hill and of course, worshiping each others' bodies at night. One night, Deeks brought out some cards he had stashed away and the two were playing when Kensi laughed to herself quietly.

"Ha, I remember when G taught me how to play poker. It was like, the fifth or so night I'd been in the castle, and of course I was still introverted and scared out of my mind, and he brought me into his room and taught me how to play poker. The first hand he dealt I got a royal flush, and I kept asking him 'Is that good? Did I win?' Meanwhile, he's just sitting there in total shock, one of his eyebrows raised... you know the look..." She trailed off, smile slowly fading. She chuckled again, but this time it was definitely off.

Deeks recognized the look as the unmistakable expression of homesickness. He had nobody to miss back in the kingdom other than Ray and Eric, but he had no family to return to, no loved ones worrying about him. Kensi, on the other hand, had a whole colony of people anxiously awaiting her return.

"So.. your friend, Nell? She seems like a sweet girl."

"Oh, she is. The sweetest." Kensi smiled, remembering her best friend, so different from most girls her age. She was loyal to a fault and had a heart of the lion, but she was petite and had always reminded Kensi of a fairy. Nell had sneaked Kensi out to see a few events that weren't exactly fit for a princess, and even though she didn't have the build to be a warrior, she definitely had the daredevil aspect down pat. "Did she say anything to you?"

"She wanted me to bring you back safely. She, uh, had tears in her eyes and everything. Really worried. Everybody was." Deeks peered over his hand of cards, watching Kensi's reaction discreetly. She was frowning, eyes sad.

"I shouldn't have left without telling her goodbye," Kensi muttered. Had their situations been reversed, Nell would've made it a point to talk to her before she left.

"Kens..."

"What do you think I should do? _We_ should do? They probably think I'm dead or something."

"Do you want to go back?"

"I _want _to be with you." It was the truth. Above all, she wanted him. Every day for the rest of her life.

"Okay," Deeks said simply, pretending he actually knew what he was doing, pretending to be the reasonable rock that she needed right now. Solid and realistic, even though he knew his suggestion would be far from it. But he couldn't live on keeping her from her family while she feared that they were worrying about her, and they probably were. So when he spoke again, he hoped she didn't call him out on his bullshit idea. "Okay. We'll go back and tell Hetty the truth, yeah?"

"Which is?"

"That we're in love." He stated it with such certainty, like it was a fact. And in a way she supposed it was, but it still made her blush slightly.

"Oh, we are now?" she joked, taking his hand in hers over the table.

"We are," he affirmed, kissing the hand that he now held in his. "We'll tell her we're in love and that she has to work out a different settlement with Granger because we refuse to be separated and nothing can come in between true love. Hetty's fond of you and seems reasonable enough. She'll understand."

"Are you sure?" she asked, frowning slightly.

He smiled warmly. "Positive. We can start packing tonight and head out tomorrow morning."

"Do we have to leave tomorrow?" She was really dreading going back to the kingdom and being idolized and envied, not to mention the reputation she would get when she returned with a man that she wanted to marry that wasn't the fiance she was assigned to.  
"Might as well get it out of the way." When her eyes dropped and she sighed, he spoke again. "I know, it sucks. Unfortunately, this is probably our only option."

"I hate it when you're right," she said, pouting.

He laughed. "I know you do, Kens."

That night, he held her close, their sex less desperate and more tender as he savored her, holding her close and listening to her breathe as she fell asleep. He'd probably kissed her at least a hundred times that night alone, and he'd stared into her eyes for so long that he'd nearly memorized the exact pattern of her irises. When he closed his eyes he could see hers staring back at him. When he finally loosened his hold on her sleeping form slightly to get comfortable he did so reluctantly, because deep down he was nearly certain that after their last night together in the cabin their happily ever after would grow increasingly further away from them.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: This is currently our longest chapter! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The ride back to the kingdom was solemn as both Kensi and Deeks worried about what the kingdom, Hetty and worse, Granger, would have to say about the two of them falling for one another. They made occasional stops for resting, eating, or in Deeks's case, peeing.

"Hey Kens?"

"Dear Lord, Deeks. If you say you have to pee one more time, I will not hesitate to shove you off your horse." Deeks shook his head and stopped Monty. Seeing him come to a stop, Kensi followed suit, pulling on Royal's reigns until she halted. Deeks turned to face her.

"Uh.. no. I um.. just wanted to say that after all of this nothing is gonna change between us, right? Nobody, not even Granger, can pull us apart." Kensi's heart melted at his words, and she offered a small, reassuring smile.

"No, Deeks. Nothing will change." He winked at her and she felt her cheeks burn, looking down. She'd never been around anybody who'd made her blush as much as she had in the past few weeks. The rest of the ride back home was spent with jokes, and as they raced each other on their horses she realized how much she loved the competition aspect of their relationship, the constant push and pull, the fact that he wasn't afraid to challenge her just because of her status in the kingdom. As they neared the edge of the forest, Kensi ushered her horse closer to Deeks. Once they crossed the threshold where the forest ended and the castle was insight, they turned towards one another, lips in firm lines, expressions grim. They didn't know what troubles lay ahead, and the uncertainty was enough to chill them both to the bone.

* * *

They entered through the stables in the back of the castle to avoid any unwanted attention. Eric was oblivious, whistling as he fed some of the horses. Deeks echoed back the tune of his whistle, and Eric turned around with a grin that was laden with surprise.

"Hey, man. Can you tell Queen Hetty Ken.. Princess Kensi and I are back?" Eric stared at Kensi for a second, not believing Deeks has succeeded and proved Granger wrong before he nodded quickly and walked backwards towards the barn's door, seemingly unable to tear his eyes from the couple. He was speechless, and Deeks realized with some degree of guilt that Eric had probably thought he'd died on his mission.

Kensi and Deeks dismounted their horses and he turned to face her.

"You ready for this?"

"Yeah..no..kinda. I'm nervous about what Granger will say." Deeks took a step closer and gently grabbed Kensi's hands.

"Hey. Everything's gonna be fine. Hetty will understand and she'll take care of Granger for us." He dropped a quick peck onto her lips. As they let go, they heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer towards the stables. Deeks let go of Kensi's hands and they put a comfortable distance between them before they saw Hetty walk in.

Kensi was the first to brake the silence upon Hetty's arrival, swallowing past a lump of nerves in her throat. "Hey, Hetty."

"My dear," she said, smile wide. She closed the distance between herself and Kensi, grabbing each of the princess's hands and squeezing. "It is good to have you back." She turned to Deeks, dropping her hold on Kensi's hands. "Well done, Sir Deeks. Thank you."

Deeks smiled at Kensi, and Kensi smiled back, her anxiety still obvious in her every action, even her grin. "It was an honor."

Hetty nodded, maybe in approval. "The kingdom, as I'm sure you can imagine, has been worried sick about you. But I we have much to discuss before announcing your return to the people. We'll take you to the castle and discuss matters with Granger, then get you settled, okay? Deeks, if you wouldn't mind coming with us. I'm sure Owen would like to speak to you as well."

* * *

"Well, well. Look who's finally shown up." Granger grinned. Kensi bit back a grimace. His smile was more of a sneer, definitely insincere. It pissed her off, quite frankly.

"Nice to see you, Owen," she forced out, her teeth clenched, corners of her mouth upturning in a smile just as disingenuous as his.

"Oh, likewise. Now that you're back from your little... _vacation_, shall we call it, we can finally follow through with the wedding."

Kensi shot Deeks a look and he nodded, understanding the message. She turned back towards Hetty and Granger and took a shaky breath.

"Um, speaking of the wedding... Queen Hetty? Commander Granger? There's something I.. we'd like to tell you." Deeks moved from his spot behind Kensi and Hetty where he'd been watching the exchanging, taking Kensi's hand in his. Granger turned as pale as a sheet at the public display of affection and the tone of her voice, and Hetty bestowed a little smirk. Once again, Deeks thought it might be one of approval.

"What? That you're in love? We'll figure it out. Until then, Kensi? Can you come to my chambers with me?" Hetty asked, smiling before Granger walked out with a huff, leaving Deeks by himself.

"So what do I do? Just stand here? Talk to myself?"

Hetty turned around and replied, "Go to hang out in the stables. Wait in the living room. Relax! Actually, I think somebody might be coming to see you soon."

* * *

In the chambers, Hetty closed the door before she made her way towards Kensi.

"My dear. You don't know how worried I've been." Hetty moved to make herself a cup of tea, sitting behind her desk. Kensi shook her head when Hetty offered a cup.

"Hetty. I'm sorry."

"Why? Because you fell in love? I'm actually very pleased. I'd rather have you marry the man you love than a man you're forced to."

"But what about Gran.. I mean Commander Granger?"

"Oh, I'll talk to him and see what we can do about it." Kensi smiled gratefully before getting up and making her way back to her room, planning on changing into something more comfortable than the riding clothes that she'd wore on the journey home before finding Deeks_. _ She had to admit that it was good to be home.

* * *

Granger hurried into his quarters where Jack was pacing the floors.

"She's back. But there's trouble."

"I know. I saw her in the stables."

"Wait.. what? When did you see her?"

"I was on the grounds when I saw Beale running to the palace. I went to the stables to see and I saw Deeks and Kensi. But dad, do you know that they..."

"Are in love? That bloody princess said so to our faces and acted like it was no big deal. Damn it."

"Dad, what are we gonna do?" Granger's brow furrowed in concentration, thinking. He needed to successfully separate the two of them, but Hetty would have nothing with forcing her to marry Jack against her will. And there was no way of breaking them up if they had a say in it, unless...

"Okay. This is what we'll do. But remember, until further notice, you're still her fiancé, understand? Act like it."

* * *

As soon as Kensi walked into her chambers, a high, girlish squeal emanated through the room, and Kensi refrained from covering her ears in an attempt to protect her ears from the pitch of the sound.

"Oh my God! Kensi, you're back!" Nell screamed, running to hug Kensi. When she pulled away she had a sheen of tears in her eyes, and her laugh was nearly hysteric. "I thought you might be dead and I didn't know what to think and Kens, oh my God. Oh my God."

"I'm okay," Kensi assured, grinning back at her friend. "I'm back."

Nell plopped down on the side of Kensi's bed, and Kensi joined her, not nearly as enthusiastically. "So... what happened? Where did you run? I want details." Grabbing a few pillows and placing them under her head as she fell back against the mattress, legs dangling from the bed, Kensi recounted as many parts of her journey as she could without being too graphic (which was hard and led Kensi to realize how much of their time was really spent having making love), and Nell accompanied the stories with little giggles, _hmmm_s and gasps, having found a comfortable position with her back against the headboard, feet curled away from Kensi's head.

"You had sex?! With Deeks?!" Nell almost screamed, only lowering her voice when Kensi chucked one of her pillows at her, hitting her in the face before falling beside her with a thud.

"Nell! Keep it down! And yes, we did it." Kensi couldn't help but blush, and Nell held the pillow close to her mouth, successfully muffling her scream.

"Oh my God. This is like listening to a slutty fairy tale," Nell teased. Both girls started to giggle before someone knocked on Kensi's door. Kensi tried to tone down her laughter a bit before hoisting herself off of the bed, opening the door to find a smiling Deeks.

"Hey. Hetty wanted me to bring you to the balcony. You too, Lady Jones." Deeks grinned and offered Kensi his arm. She shook her head, smiling, and looped her arm around his. Nell giggled and excused herself with something about having to speak to Hetty before hurrying off.

Deeks and Kensi walked silently down to the main balcony where Hetty was waiting for them. She smiled as the two came into her view.

"Ah, good. Our princess and valiant knight are here. I'll tell the bard to start the announcements." Kensi looked at Deeks with confusion and he shot a grin at her.

"She wanted to brief the town about you coming back and wanted you to hear it. No biggie, right?"

"No biggie."

As Hetty prepared to give a speech, Kensi saw a familiar man come around the corner. She unlinked her arm from Deeks's, launching herself at the guy as soon as she recognized who he was. "Callen!"

He caught her with steady arms, lifting her off her feet. "Never, ever pull anything like that again. Are you hurt?" he asked, concerned but obviously overjoyed, a smile on his face.

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm great, actually," she answered, grin just as wide as his.

"I've missed you. A lot. And I was worried. A lot."

She swallowed past the guilt she felt, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, G."

Before he could reply to her apology, a trumpet sounded, and Hetty's voice followed it, her words spoken with joy. When she announced that Kensi had returned, Deeks smiled from across the hallway. "I think that's your cue."

As soon as she stepped foot on the balcony, hundreds of thousands of voices cheered, the sound and the crowd below the balcony tremendous. It was exhilarating and on some levels overwhelming, the chaos making her heart race as she waved.

After a few minutes of simply waving, Kensi reentered the castle, trying not to grimace as she was greeted by her fiancé. "Kensi, thank goodness. You're back!" The hug he delivered was nearly bone-crushing, and Kensi noticed Deeks's hands were balled into fists as she saw him watching the exchange over one of Jack's broad shoulders. Jack released her, and she refrained from sighing in relief, realizing that she'd been holding her breath. He went as far as to kiss her forehead, and she realized how strange the interaction really was. It was the first time she had so much as talked to the man, this guy that she was supposed to be marrying. "You had us all worried! Now our wedding preparations can go on schedule!" He winked before walking away with a hop in his step.

Kensi shook her head in disgust, praying that Hetty would in fact find a way out of the prearranged marriage. She placed one hand on Deeks's tense shoulder blade, trying to calm him placed a possessive arm around her waist, holding her close. From her position pressed against Deeks, Kensi could just barely make out Hetty approaching them from her peripheral vision.

"I believe your return calls for a celebration. Who's up for a feast? I've had a bottle of scotch, nearly a decade old. This seems like as good a time as any to crack it open. Deeks, Nell, you're joining us. Oh, and would you also invite Eric? That boy is simply too skinny." Hetty smiled her usual mysterious smile before walking away. Nell immediately appeared by Kensi's side and rushed her into her room, ushering her quickly down the hallway so she could prepare for the feast. Kensi kissed Deeks's cheek before leaving, and he grinned.

"See you soon, Kens."

"See you, Shaggy."

* * *

Hetty informed Deeks that he had a visitor, and when Deeks saw who it was he smirked. "Well, look what the cat dragged in."

"You!" Ray shouted to Deeks, smiling. Deeks grinned and they both high-fived and gave each other a brief hug.

"Back so soon?" Deeks asked, pleasantly surprised. Ray traveled around the outskirts of the kingdom, looking for land to expand the kingdom.

"Yeah! I heard that you rescued that smoking hot princess after she ran away."

"I wouldn't call it rescuing, but yeah, something like that."

"Well, you've always had a thing for brunettes. And who wouldn't have a thing for that one, right? Tell me I'm right. I'm right." When he noticed Deeks wasn't replying, he nudged his friend. "Oooo, Marty got the hots for Princess Kensi!" he teased, and Deeks clasped a hand against his shoulder, laughing.

"Oh, shut up, idiot," Deeks teased playfully.

"Uh huh. Get all defensive. Deflect the situation. I acknowledge what you're playing at and I don't approve of your inability to admit that you're attracted to the princess, but I'm going to go with it because Hetty wants me to help you get ready for tonight's dinner thing."

"I was not defensive-"

"Uh-uh. Zip it."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Nell had good taste, Kensi had to admit. The girl had chosen a dark blue dress with a white, draping top. The bottom had a slit in the side and showed a bit of leg. Nell had chosen a strapless ombre dress that faded from purple to orange with a black bow in the back and a floral design strewn across the folds of the dress. Their makeup and hair had been done tastefully, guaranteed to entice the men attending. However, the girls chose flat shoes in order to spare themselves the pain after dancing. Both girls made their way to the ballroom, when suddenly Jack stopped them.

He cleared his throat, a subtle way of telling Nell to basically "get lost". Nell blushed and ran to the ballroom, muttering a simple "I'll see you later," to Kensi. Jack smiled at Kensi, and she returned his smile with a curt nod, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You look beautiful, Kensi." She just nodded her head sharply and tried to continue to the room, but Jack grabbed her arm. She frowned, trying to loosen the grip.

"I may be engaged to you, but that does not mean that I have to be around you all of the time. And that certainly does not give you the right to keep touching me whenever you want, especially forcefully." Kensi glared at him, stalking off angrily towards the room, his grip having loosened enough to escape from his grasp.

"Yell all you want, sweet princess. But we both know this will not end pretty," Jack muttered under his breath before tracing Kensi's path.

Deeks later entered chatting with Ray and his jaw dropped at the sight of Kensi. She was... _gorgeous. _Her hair fell to the middle of her back in loose curls, and her makeup was light and barely noticeable. Ray nudged Deeks as if to say 'What did I say?' but he verbalized, "Hey, shut your mouth. Flies crawling onto your tongue is a total turn off to chicks." Deeks sealed his lips, clearing his throat before walking towards the woman, tapping her bare shoulder. She turned to face him with a bright smile on her face.

"You look beautiful, Kens." Kensi smiled as he kissed her hand, reveling in the feel of his scruff against her knuckles when pressed his lips against her fingers.

"Thanks, Deeks. You don't look so bad yourself." Before they could say anymore, the feast began. The feast was filled with many of the nobility's favorites and a few made especially for Kensi since the night was about celebrating her return. Everyone ate and drank merrily, and then the dancing started. Of course, Jack was the first to grab Kensi to dance, but he wasn't a good dancer. He spun Kensi around the floor too wildly, jerking her arms around as if she were a rag doll. In the middle of the second song, Deeks tapped Jack's shoulder, distracting him momentarily so he could ask Kensi if she wanted to dance.

Jack grumbled something, then begrudgingly released Kensi, nearly shoving her against Deeks. Deeks glared at Jack, and Kensi led him away, afraid that if he stayed too close to her fiancé he'd do something he couldn't take back. "Deeks," she breathed, and her voice seemed to snap him out of his trance momentarily. He peeled his glower away from Jack, eyes softening considerably when they landed on Kensi. He reminded himself that Kensi didn't want Jack, that she wanted himself. But that alone didn't control the urge he had to beat Jack to the point of unconsciousness when he leered at Kensi or handled her with too much force. It reminded him too much of what his father would do to his mother in public, and God knows what would happen if Jack got her alone for an extended period of time. If it was anything like what his dad did to his mom, then...

He wanted to shake away his dark thoughts, but instead he kissed her forehead, reaching for her hand. "Let's dance, yeah? Get ready for this. I'm actually the best dancer I know."

"Oh, you are, now?"

"Uh, _yeah_. Watch and learn, sweet cheeks."

He actually was a pretty good dancer, but she wasn't bad either. Yeah, that was an understatement. He watched her sway in perfect tune to the music all night long, moving her hips like she was a gypsy, so rhythmically he was sure that a deaf person would be able to interpret what the tune of the music she was moving to was with perfect clarity by simply watching her dance. Her weight was light under his hands, and it was almost as if she was floating, dancing on air.

By the end of the night her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, her voice hoarse from yelling over the music and laughing until her stomach hurt. She'd convinced him to stay with her at the castle that night but had made it clear that she was exhausted and just wanted to shower and sleep. The truth of the matter was that she just wanted him to be close to her.

He felt the same way, and the bath they shared that night was nice, quiet and peaceful, balancing out the excitement that the dance had created with a special type of serenity that they would both cherish for years to come. Her bed was huge and like sleeping on a cloud compared to the one in the shack, and he spooned against her body, clad in warm pajama pants that Kensi had grabbed for him earlier. He stroked her hair until her breath evened out, and only then did he allow himself to succumb to unconsciousness.

* * *

The next morning, Hetty had alerted the members of the court, calling for a meeting, and Kensi and Deeks were passing some time before the meeting began. They wandered outside and walked for a while, his hand intertwined with hers. He led her through some parts of the kingdom she'd never seen before, such as a plaza that contained the place he'd went to school at when he was young, a broken down building that he claimed used to be a library a century or two ago where he took his first shot of whiskey, and even the house where he'd lived as a child. The stroll had been mostly filled with idle talk and a few jokes, and Kensi loved how easy it was to converse with Deeks. His talkativeness was one of the many qualities that made her so attracted to him.

They'd almost circled back to the castle, now only a few paces from the front of the stable. Somehow they'd gotten on the topic of the prearranged marriage, and he'd mostly listened as she rambled about what a bastard Jack was, content to listen to her rant. Eventually, he asked, "What do you think's next for us?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, where are we gonna go? And I'm talking about _us. _You know, as a couple._"  
_

"I don't know." Deeks' face fell a bit and Kensi hurried to explain. "I didn't mean it like _that_, I just don't know. You know what I want. I know what you want. Now it's just a matter of if Hetty can work out a different deal with Granger. Then happily ever after, right?" Instead of replying, Deeks's face lost all color, eyes screwing shut. Before she could comprehend what was happening, he fell hard on his knees, nearly face-planting. She caught his shoulder, dropped to his side.

Before she could ask what happened, he was forcing out, "Kens.. my.. back."

Confused and terrified, she looked at his back, finding two arrows lodged into it. "Deeks!" she screamed, before yelling with as much force as she could, "Help! Somebody, please!"


End file.
